Three-dimensional molding apparatus, three-dimensional molding method, and molding material

Abstract

A three-dimensional molding apparatus repeatedly discharges a first molding material, which configures the surface layer of a three-dimensional molding and comprises a mechanoluminescent material that emits light upon being subjected to an external force, and a second molding material, which configures internal areas located on the inside of the surface layer of the three-dimensional molding, onto a molding stage to form a molding material layer, and molds the three-dimensional molding by layering multiple molding material layers.

1 . A three-dimensional shaping apparatus comprising:
 a shaping stage;   a first ink-jet head configured to form a first model region of a shaping material layer by discharging toward the shaping stage a first shaping material which composes a surface layer part of a three-dimensional object and includes a stress-induced light-emitting material which emits light when an external force is exerted thereto;   a second ink-jet head configured to form a second model region of a shaping material layer by discharging toward the shaping stage a second shaping material which composes an inner part located inside the surface layer part of the three-dimensional object;   a supporting mechanism configured to support the shaping stage or the first and second ink-jet heads or both such that a relative distance between the shaping stage and the first and second ink-jet heads is variable; and   a control section configured to control the first and second ink-jet heads and the supporting mechanism, repeat a process of discharging the first and second shaping materials to form a shaping material layer on the shaping stage, and stack a plurality of shaping material layers to shape a three-dimensional object.   
     
     
         2 . The three-dimensional shaping apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first ink-jet head discharges the first shaping material having a viscosity of 5 to 15 [mPa·s]. 
     
     
         3 . The three-dimensional shaping apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first ink-jet head discharges the first shaping material including the stress-induced light-emitting material having a volume-mean particle diameter of 10 [nm] to 5 [μm]. 
     
     
         4 . The three-dimensional shaping apparatus according to any one of  claim 1 , wherein the first ink-jet head discharges the first shaping material in which a content of the stress-induced light-emitting material is 0.5 to 30 wt % based on a total mass of the first shaping material. 
     
     
         5 . The three-dimensional shaping apparatus according to any one of  claim 1  further comprising a third ink-jet head supported by the supporting mechanism and configured to discharge a supporting material toward the shaping stage. 
     
     
         6 . The three-dimensional shaping apparatus according to any one of  claim 1  further comprising a fourth ink-jet head supported by the supporting mechanism and configured to discharge a fourth shaping material toward the shaping stage, the fourth shaping material including a stress-induced light-emitting material which emits light of a color different from a color of light of the stress-induced light-emitting material included in the first shaping material. 
     
     
         7 . The three-dimensional shaping apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein a plurality of the first model regions including stress-induced light-emitting materials whose emission colors are different from each other are formed on a surface layer part of a three-dimensional object by selectively discharging the first shaping material and the fourth shaping material from the first ink-jet head and the fourth ink-jet head. 
     
     
         8 . A three-dimensional shaping method comprising:
 forming a first model region of a shaping material layer by discharging from a first ink-jet head toward the shaping stage a first shaping material which composes a surface layer part of a three-dimensional object and includes a stress-induced light-emitting material which emits light when an external force is exerted thereto;   forming a second model region of a shaping material layer by discharging from a second ink-jet head toward the shaping stage a second shaping material which composes an inner part located inside the surface layer part of the three-dimensional object; and   shaping a three-dimensional object by discharging the first and second shaping materials and stacking a plurality of shaping material layers on the shaping stage.   
     
     
         9 . The three-dimensional shaping method according to  claim 8 , wherein, on a basis of 3D data for a configuration in which a region corresponding to a predetermined thickness from a surface of the three-dimensional object is a surface layer including the stress-induced light-emitting material, the first and second shaping materials are discharged from the first and second ink-jet heads and the plurality of shaping material layers are stacked. 
     
     
         10 . A shaping material which is discharged toward a shaping stage from an ink-jet head during a shaping operation of a three-dimensional object, the shaping material being configured to compose a surface layer part of the three-dimensional object,
 the shaping material comprising:   a stress-induced light-emitting material which emits light when an external force is exerted thereto; and   an energy curable material which is cured when an energy is applied thereto.   
     
     
         11 . The shaping material according to  claim 10 , wherein the stress-induced light-emitting material has a volume-mean particle diameter of 10 [nm] to 5 [μm]. 
     
     
         12 . The shaping material according to  claim 10 , wherein a content of the stress-induced light-emitting material is 0.5 to 30 wt % based on a total mass of the shaping material.